Grinding apparatus with upper gyratory drive



Dec. 14, 1948. R G. N. ROWLEY 72,456,150

v GRINDING APPARATUS WiTH UPPER GYRATORY DRIVE Filed Jan. 1, 1945 s Shgets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. Garoldjl. Row/0y Afro/21m Dec. 14, 1948. G. N. ROWLEY GRINDING APPARATUS WITH UPPER GYRATORY DRIVE Filgd Jan. 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 /1 W Z l I I j W4 g I 4 l .1 9 v A 33 20 HL z2 My 34f 74- t v t 37 0 '67 a l E 2 w N. ROWLEY GRINDING APPARATUS WI'IH UPPER GYRA'IORY DRIVE Dec. 14, 1943.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 1, 19,45

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ing material 35* having secured to or imbedded therein annular conductors 36, 31, and connected by conductors 36, 3! respectively, to the field of the electric motor 32. Upon the under side of the convex top H, adjacent the opening l6 therein, is secured a support 38, see Figure 4, of insulating material upon which are secured brushes or shoes 38, 38 engaging the annular conductors 36, 31, and connected to conductors 39, 39 respectively, extending from a source of electric energy which serves to drive the motor 32 to operate the cutter shaft 23.

Upon the upper side of the convex cover M of the hopper H is mounted an electric motor 40 connected to a source of electric energy by conductors 40, 40 and having a pinion 4| on its shaft meshing with a circular rack 42 fixed upon the cover plate I1, adjacent the edge thereof whereby, when the motor 40 is energized, the cover plate I! is rotated and the shaft 23 operated. As the shaft 23 is eccentrically mounted with respect to the cover plate l1, said shaft is bodily rotated thereby and by reason of its axial rotation, said shaft revolves or travels in a cono-epicycloidal path, and the cutters or knives 26 to describe a corresponding movement and cooperate with the wear plates 21 to grind, crush or reduce the pieces'of wood or other material as the same pass betweensaid cutters and said wear plates.

The operation of the apparatus will be largely obvious from the foregoing description. It is to be noted, however, that the pieces of wood or other material are fed into the hopper through the intake opening l5, and agitated by the shaft 23, as the same revolves. As the pieces reach the constricted passage 24, the same will be crushed or ground by theaction of the cutters 26 moving in a conical path, opposite all portions of the annular wall formed by the wear plates 21 of the constricted passage 24, and then drop into the hollow base 13, and be ejected through the discharge spout 29 by the action of the fan blades 28 on the lower end of the cutter shaft 23.

' fixed bearing below In order to effect the proper agitation and,

feeding of the material within the hopper and the reduction of the material, cutter shaft 23 and cutters 26 may be rotated at a higher speed than the cover plate I 1 and related parts. For example the cutter shaft 23 might be operated at I about 3,000 to 3,500 revolutions per minute, while the cover plate l1, and its related parts, are revolved at about to '75 revolutions per minute.

Further, it is to be noted that the eillciency of the apparatus is attained by the cono-epicycloidal motion with which the cutter shaft 23 is rotated within the hopper. Due to this motion, the wood or other material within the hopper is maintainedin a state of constant agitation and fed continuously to the cutting mechanism, and the pieces reduced to the desired degree by the rotary movement of the cutter shaft and cutters in a circular or conical path in cooperation with the conforming wall of the passage 24.

Having thus described my invention, what I,

- claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a conical hopper, for receiving the material to be acted upon, a convex cover having acentral circular opening secured to the open top;

of said conical hopper, said hopper having a con stricted passage adjacent its base, a circular-cover plate rotatably mounted in said circular opening,

said cover plate. having an eccentrically disposed opening, a shaft rotatably mounted in said eccentrically disposed opening and extending into said constricted passage, means for rotating said circular cover, cutting means carried by said shaft and working in said constricted passage, and means carried by said circular cover for axially revolving said shaft, whereby said shaft is revolved and actuated in a conical path adjacent the walls of said hopper, and said cutting means co-acts with the wall of said passage to reduce the material th'erebetween. i

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having tapering inner walls, a cover therefor, and a constricted opening in its base, a revoluble member in said cover, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its upper end supported in said revoluble member and its lower end extending through said opening, a

said opening pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft, means for moving said rotatable member and shaft in a circular path, cutters on said shaft located in said opening, and means for rotating said shaft and cutters independently of the means for rotating said rotatable member and the upper end of said shaft in a conical path to cause said outters to reduce the material between said cutters and the wall of said opening.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having tapering inner walls, a cover therefor having a central opening therein, and a constricted opening in its base, a revoluble member working in said opening, a bearing eccentrically disposed on said revoluble member, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its upper end supported in said eccentric bearing and its lower end extending through said constricted opening, a fixed bearing below said constricted opening pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft, means on said cover for actuating said rotatable bearing in a circular path, cutters on said shaft'located in said opening, and means on said rotatable member for rotating said shaft and cutters independently of the mean s for actuating said revoluble member and the upper end of said shaft therein in a conical path to cause said outters to reduce the material betweensaid cutters and the wall of said opening.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper provided with intake and discharge openings, said hopper having tapering inner walls, a cover therefor having a central,

.circular opening therein, a hollow base, and a constricted opening intermediate said base and hopper, a revoluble plate working in the circular opening in said cover, a bearing eccentrically disposed on said revoluble plate, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its upper end supported in said eccentric bearing and its lower end extending through said constricted opening, a

bearing in said base pivotally supporting the comprising ,a hopper provided with intake and discharge openings, said hopper having tapering -,inner,.walls, a cover therefor havin a central, circular opening therein, a hollow base, and a constricted opening intermediate said base and banner, a rev ol uble plate working in the circular opening'in said cover, a bearing eccentrically disposed on said revoluble plate, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its upper end supported in said eccentric bearing and its lower end extending through said constricted opening, a bearing in said base pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft, and means in said hollow base for ejecting the material through said discharge opening.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper hav-ing tapering inner walls, a cover therefor having a central circular opening therein, a hollow base, and a constricted opening intermediate said base and hopper, a plate revolubly disposed in the circular opening in said cover, a bearing eccentrically disposed on said plate, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its upper end supported in said eccentric bearing and its lower end extending through said constricted opening, a bearing in said base pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft, a motor carried by said revoluble plate for rotating said shaft, cutters on said shaft located in said constricted opening, and a motor mounted on said cover and operatively associated with said revoluble plate for rotating said plate, and moving the upper end of said shaft in a conical path to cause said cutters to reduce the material between said cutters and the wall of said opening.

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper provided with intake and discharge openings and having tapering inner walls, a constricted opening in its base, an inclined shaft disposed in said hopper with its lower end extending through said opening, a bearing on said base pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft, a rotatable bearing adjacent the upper end of said hopper for the free end of said shaft, means for moving said rotatable bearing in a circular path, cutters on said shaft located in said opening, and means for rotating said shaft and cutters and the upper end of said shaft to travel in a conical path, to cause said cutters to reduce the material between said cutters and the wall of said opening, and a blower in said base associated with said shaft for ejecting the material through said discharge opening.

8. An apparatus for grinding material, comprising a hopper having a tapering inner wall and a constricted passage adjacent its base, said hopper having an open top; a convex cover secured to the open top of said hopper, said cover having a circular opening; a circular cover plate for said circular opening, said cover plate having an eccentrically disposed opening; means for rotating said circular cover plate within said circular opening; a shaft extending through said eccentrically disposed opening and inclinedly through said constricted passage; cutting means carried by said shaft in the zone of said constricted passage; means for pivotally supporting the lower end of said shaft; and means for axially rotating said shaft.

9. An apparatus as defined by claim 8, in which segmental wear plates are secured in said constricted passage of the hopper.

GAROLD N. ROWLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

